Restore? Not Restore?

[Leonard MacKey]

I picked up a nice Disston D8, circa pre-1917, 5 TPI, thumb hole rip saw at a garage sale last week, and while I've successfully restored a set of auger bits and a couple of planes, this one presents a quandary. The saw appears to have been used, but not overly so. The etching is legible, but faint. The handle is complete, tight, and has no cracks or significant chips. The blade is quite discolored, with some signs of active rust near the handle. No visible pitting that I can tell. The medallion, while tarnished, appears complete and undamaged. The dimensions and shape of the blade indicate that it was hardly ever sharpened. There's a lot of life left in this saw.

I don't want to screw it up by pulling a full restoration if it might be best to just give it a wipe down and hope the rust doesn't progress. At what point do you decide to pull a full restoration instead of leaving things alone?

Thanks!

Leonard

[John Dykes]

Not sure what you mean by "full restoration."

I like using \ owning tools that look like they are in tip top shape - I'm a bit like Frank Klausz in that way. I take pride in the tool, as well as the work. I enjoy using a tool that I've sweated over and brought back to life... many others may not.

That said - I wish I had your saw! This is what I would do:
- Take it apart. Again, many would disagree - but I'd like to get all the rust out of, and away from the handle.
- Discoloration doesn't bother me. You don't want to try to get it shiny again. Gentle cleaning with some mineral spirits and steel wool or a greenie. Don't buff out the etch.
- I'd be tempted to take some sandpaper to the handle and refinish.
- I'd certainly Brasso the medallion and nuts.
- Sharpen and use.

Again, that's me. I love using vintage tools that I've cleaned up - I take a great deal of pride as a custodian of these tools. Someone will use them after me - I'm sure of it. And if they can say, "Some fine old dead guy really took care of his tools," it'll be of further benefit to this craft.

Take it apart, feel it's parts, clean it, restore it, use it, and pass it along - keep it alive for another generation.

- jbd

[Michael Faurot]

My personal view is if it will work as it is, but only needs to be cleaned up and sharpened—that's all I do. If the tool is unusable in its current condition, then I'll take more elaborate steps[1] to make it usable again.


[1]: Electrolysis, flattening the sole of a plane, making new handles, repainting, etc.

[Leonard MacKey]

Mike and John:

Thank you for the advice.

John: I, too, appreciate the challenge of reworking old tools and using them in a more modern context. I keep asking myself what they might tell me if they could talk. Now, if they'd just SHARE some of that experience and expertise with me.....:>)

I think I'll just do what's necessary to get this one up and back online.

Thanks, again, for taking the time to post your replies.

Leonard

[David DeCristoforo]

FWIW, with anything that qualifies as an "antique" or a "collectable", the "rule of thumb" is that the item is worth more if it has the original finish and/or patina. Often, the "more" can be quite a bit more. Also, repairs and/or alterations can adversely affect value. So it might be a good idea to go with getting a tool into good usable condition while maintaining as much of the original as possible.